Some comments on a recent post inspired me to think about house church and participatory gatherings… how difficult they are, yet how essential they are.
These comments brought up the issue of spiritual gifts.
John writes: "It's tragic that so many shun spiritual gifts or simply fail to embrace them…." St. Valdez comments: "the people who are pew sitters, seat fillers, class attenders and not much else…they… don't seem to care or give a second thought to how they might be gifted and how they could use that giftedness… We have been trained (if we grew up or went to church even a little) to think that being a Christian is a spectator's sport and that our 'reasonable act of service or worship' is showing up and watching or listening."
House Church: Every Person is a Minister
The transformation to simple/organic/house church, for me, centers on this very issue of every person is a minister, every person has essential spiritual gifts for the Body to be healthy, and thus it is essential that we gather in a way that truly makes room for every person to participate. Let me say it again, it is important that we gather in a way that makes room for every person.
This is challenging. It, first of all, requires a type of facilitation that is servant-based, others-focused, and truly interested in seeing every spiritual gift employed. This means "leading" from the background, guiding without being seen, shepherding without anyone noticing. It requires people who truly are comfortable keeping the spotlight off of themselves, sharing only as God leads, and inviting others (especially the quieter ones) to bring what God has given them.
In one of our gatherings, almost every time we are together, someone will turn to Gabe and say, "Bro, what do you have to share." We have learned that Gabe will often remain quiet while others jump in and share their hearts and insight. Yet when Gabe finally speaks (usually only after being asked) he brings a depth and perspective that no one else has touched on.
Ahhh, but there are so many challenges to participatory gatherings. What about those who use this format to dominate the gathering? What about those who, without realizing it, simply talk and talk and talk leaving little room for the whole Body to participate. This is not easy. Everyone present has to learn to take responsibility for keeping the premise in place: everyone matters, everyone shares, everyone has gifts.
BUT, here's the payoff. True, participatory, whole-Body gatherings automatically develops and encourages the spiritual gifts of every Believer. It just happens! The format itself promotes this healthy flourishing of life. The participatory format itself is biblical, powerful, and empowering. It's difficult to do, but worth the effort!
Thank God I no longer stand in a pulpit in front of face-forward pew-sitters and preach to them that they are all ministers who should employ their spiritual gifts. Yet I was modelling the exact opposite. These poor folk, whom I was asking to employ their gifts, were also asked to come in, sit down, and pay attention to one or two others display only their gifts for one or two hours. What sense does that make? How can we blame people for being "pew sitters" when that is exactly where we asked them to place their behinds?
I no longer, ever, never have to "exhort" people to use their gifts. The participatory gatherings I take part in releases the Body to do what it will naturally do if given the opportunity… express life from every member! People just "get it." They really are the church. They really are the Body of Christ. The Body of Christ is, in the participatory setting, purposefully looking toward every person to share in the full expression of Christ in our midst. Everyone there knows it; everyone there feels it; everyone there begins to simply do it. It is so awesome (even when messy)!!!
Comments
10 responses to “House Church: Every Person Participates”
An interesting dynamic we discovered in our group is that as the group moved around to different “host” houses, the host family seemed more comfortable to operate in their giftings, at least with the parents (if there were host children present). Depending on the dynamics of the families, many children seemed more free to operate in their giftings when their parents were not hosting the fellowship. I won’t make any speculations on this but as my wife and I began to notice this, it became exciting to anticipate and watch what would happen as we changed houses. Sadly , we didn’t take the next step and bring up this observation to the group and pursue it within the group by asking questions about each others “glory”, why we thought those things were happening, how could we encourage each other “stir up each other”, what fears do we feel and how the freedom of “our house” works. There are tons of questions one could pursue about this and I believe it would make for much encouraging conversation about the state of each other’s hearts (how we feel about operating this way) and what it would take to flow in our giftings not only in a “safe” setting such as a home group but some place as scary as with our neighbor or the market with a stranger, when our Father nudges us in this direction.
Roger – this post really encourages me. I guess in past experiences our gatherings struggled with moving most (not all) of the people to a place where they wanted to discover and use their gifts that I’ve really been wondering if there is an effective way to accomplish this. But reading this post and looking back, I see how it did just happen, the people did “get it” and began to move in their giftedness.
One thing that was interesting to see was that as we made that transition we (the two families that sort of started the gatherings) also transitioned further into our giftedness and were really “released” to be more of who Father desired for us to be.
I would like to ask if you use any study or guides in helping people to “discover” and develop their gifting?
Yes, the premise is that everyone must take responsibility for participation. If and when everyone “brings something to share”, the meetings are most valued and I truly feel part of something that God is involved in. I am engaged and encouraged as I see others step out and up, risking, reaching, exhorting, putting themselves into it. I want more of that. I think that is the real living church experience, the functioning body of Christ. I have seen this in various types of meetings and this isn’t as normative in our house church as I’d like to see it. We all have the baggage of traditional church practice to overcome.
St Valdez,
I think the most important element for developing spiritual gifts in a participatory environment is to help and encourage people to hear from God. “My sheep hear my voice.”
I understand that Larry Kreider has written a new book on hearing God (dcfi.org). He is always balanced and practical.
For the more charismatic-orientation, I like “You May All Prophesy” by Steve Thompson– which is also, in my opinion, a very balanced yet encouraging book.
I believe that gifts will naturally stir up as people become confident that God prompts each one to bring insight and inspiration… sometimes it’s something that God has given them during the week, and sometimes it’s something that is stirring in them during the gathering. Really, in my opinion, the key to developing disciples is to help get their ears to His voice… direct.
Roger
St Valdez,
We’ve found a couple of resources from Ransomed Heart Ministries (John Eldredge – Wild at Heart). One is a CD series (4 CDs) on “The Four Streams”; Discipleship, Spiritual Warfare, Counseling & Healing – especially the CDs on Discipleship and Counseling. They focus not so much on diiscipling and counseling others but on hearing God’s voice and intimate conversation between Him and us. Another CD set (2 CDs) is “Developing a Conversational Intimacy with God”. This CD is both John teaching and conversations with Craig and Gary (who work with John). You can find them in the “Storefront” at http://www.ransomedheart.com
I have found that many people hear God but they fail to recognize it as from Him. They convince themselves that it’s coming from them. I have seen people who have stepped out in faith and had a word confirmed by others, changed dramatically. There is something about realizing that God is in direct contact with them that impacts them in a dramatic way. Many times this realization has a greater affect than the word itself. I would encourage groups to work on creating a safe place for people to step out with vulnerability. When individuals are confident in their connection with God great things will happen.
Over the years, I’ve seen so much abuse of the “spiritual gifts”. I’ve witnessed many people use the “gifts” to promote their personal agenda. I see people attempting to manipulate God into performing for them, or into doing their will, as if God is a trained poodle. People are so easily drawn into competition to see who can look the most “spiritual”, and so the games begin. It’s like a religious circus. Others are more interested in being “holy” and “spiritual” just to place themselves in the limelight, and cause people to look to them for answers. I’m pretty sick of it really.
I wouldn’t say though that there isn’t a place in the body for the gifts. But I tend to think that God will call on us when He wants us to act. He will make it clear to all who are present, that this is from Him.
Sorry to appear so negative, but this is an aspect of kingdom life that religious people abuse horribly.
I appreciate the comment… and have also seen spiritual gifts used to promote personal agendas. However, I have seen a HUGE change in this now that my context is simple/house church. We don’t have a limelight… We don’t have a setting in which one person becomes “the most spiritual” and thus, we don’t have a setting that encourages any type of competing or self-aggrandizing… and this really, really does make a difference. Those who are looking for a limelight just don’t seem to hang out in our setting because it becomes very clear that no one is going to be promoted. EVERY person is truly valued– right down to the youngest child. Everyone really is on equal footing. Thus spiritual gifts are equally valued and equally encouraged… and ALL expressions, from the simplest to the most “profound-sounding” are given equal weight… and thus we see far less use of them for personal promotion. How refreshing this has been! The context really does make a difference and the “spiritual gifts circus” doesn’t have to come to town.
I know what you mean, Roger. We have had many wonderful experiences with spiritual gifts at our small gatherings. I sometimes think, though, that even in the small group of intimate friends, it’s a fine line between allow God to draw on our gifts for the edification of the body, and our insistence on somehow putting them to use because we can. I’ve seen it both ways, and while it sometimes adds to our experience with God, other times it can be obviously conjured up from our own agendas and motivations.
I think that any time our participation in the “spiritual” isn’t authentic and relevant, it detracts more from the gathering than it adds. But, I guess it’s like anything that comes from gathering, we must eat the meat and spit out the bones.
I once questioned my pastor about the authenticity of the response of many people during a particularly exciting night of worship. I was concerned that people seemed to be caught up in the “atmosphere” of worship and not the Spirit. He agreed (I was surprised) and then he said ” I would rather have a bunch of people who are excited and wholeheartedly seeking God, but sometimes get caught up in their excitement, than a whole congregation who sit in their seats and thumb their noses at the possibility of connecting with God”.
I am not talking about people who use prayer and worship time for an agenda, but rather those in the group who sometimes “try” to hard.
I’ve been guilty, I’ve spoke out and later thought to myself “that was from me”. When we gather together in small participatory groups we have to be ready for a few “bones”. I don’t think that this ultimately detracts from what God is doing, I think makes the group a place where people can grow then stumble then fumble then grow some more, and still be Loved.